Green Businesses: Tacos & Beer

These days, I'm constantly on the look-out for businesses that claim to be "green". Many of them are just hopping on the trend. They add a solar panel to a single one of their stores, and suddenly they are a green company.

But many companies are taking it seriously: incorporating sustainability into their corporate value statements. I like to know about these companies so I can support their businesses. Here are a couple of interesting, nationwide brands I've found out about recently:

Chipotle Mexican Grill
I was pretty shocked when I found out that Chipotle was a green company. After all, they were owned by McDonald's, who is not exactly well-renowned for being environmentally friendly.

But Chipotle has severed all ties with McDonald's and is committed to their mission statement of "food with integrity". Included in that mission are sustainable building practices. Some of the things they do:

• Build their restaurants with recycled materials
• Use CFL lighting
• Installs tankless water heaters, which are much more efficient at heating water
• Have customer recycling installations, and recycle their own waste as well
• Have thermostats pre-programmed for less wasted energy
• Motion sensors for lights in restrooms

In my opinion, the burritos are only average, but their mission certainly makes me feel better about purchasing from their establishment.

New Belgium Brewery (makers of Fat Tire)
Sustainability is one of the three core values of New Belgium. Some of the things they do to minimize their footprint:

• In 1998, employees voted to dip into their bonus pools to get their energy from wind power instead of the local coal-fired plant.
• Uses several water-saving techniques to conserve water while making their beer.
• Uses sustainable building practices in their breweries and other facilities.
• Downcycles spent grain into cattle feed
• Buys recycled office products
• Uses evaporative cooling in their storage facilities
• And much more...

They give environmental tours of their brewery in Ft Collins, Colorado if you ever make it out that direction.

Comments

[Ben]

Might also take a look at Sierra Nevada Brewing's efforts: http://www.sierranevada.com/environment.html

Now, if only they didn't have to stick their beers on trucks to get them up here to a single warehouse (thanks Liquor Control Board!) before being put on different trucks for distribution around the state.

[Tony B.]

Don't feel bad about liking Chipotle. I'm a Mexican and I really like the barbequoa they serve there. In fact many other Mexicans I have spoken with that have eaten there tend to like the barbequoa as well. Kind of makes my mouth start to water thinking about it, for some reason I just really like shredded meats.

[Anna]

Also, check out Square One, an organic vodka. This company is green from the ingredients that they put into their product all the way to their sustainable business practices. Plus, their corporate structure is employee friendly as well. I wrote an article about them on my site because I was so impressed with both their product and their company. It is also majority female run too. Anna www.green-talk.com

[matt]

Thank you for clearing up the Chipotle/McDonalds question, and of course for shedding light on their Green mission. I'll give their food another go (found it average last time).

New Belgium brewery makes some mighty fine beers. Thanks for posting on them as well!

[bravenewleaf]

Ben - thanks for the pointer. I'll be sure to try out Sierra Nevada soon.

Tony, I hear you on the shredded meat thing. Mmmm...I think I might be getting hungry right now...

Anna, thanks for the organic vodka tip. I've heard of Square One before, but I had no idea that it was organic. I'll have to check it out for sure. That will also come in handy in my upcoming greening my beverages series.

Thanks for the comment, Matt. Yeah, a lot of people still think Chipotle is tied to Ronald and his gang. It's going to take them a while to shed that image, I think.